Niemerg Back as Stew-Stras AD

Nick Niemerg is returning as athletic director for the Stewardson-Strasburg school district.

Niemerg was reappointed AD at Thursday night's school board meeting to replace Matt Shoaff.  Shoaff has been hired as high school principal at Bethany/Okaw Valley.

Also in personnel moves at Stew-Stras: Kimberly Conn was hired as a one-on-one Special Education aide, Darin Hanson was hired as high school boys basketball assistant after resigning similar duties at Neoga, and Superintendent Michelle Lindenmeyer was authorized to hire a one-on-one Special Education aide as needed due to potential late registrations.

The Stew-Stras board made some changes to their cooperative agreement with the Windsor district regarding athletics.  Language was changed regarding athletic participation fees so that a student will pay the fee due their district with the district retaining that fee.  There had been confusion over what fee should be paid as each district hosts certain sports.  A change was also approved regarding golf, with the districts now to pay $75/player to the golf course at Windsor used as the coop team's home course.  The per player fee will mean each district will only be paying for the golfers they provide to the team.  The Board also reviewed a proposed coop junior high and high school track agreement.  Stew-Stras would host both teams, but the districts have until spring to finalize the agreement.

The Board agreed to close out a State maintenance grant.  The matching grant helped pay for work on the elementary building boiler, the media center roof, the elementary section fire alarm, sealing of the front parking lot, repairs to the driveway entrance and work on the gym floor.

Board members approved a tentative fiscal year budget.  Lindenmeyer said she was pleased the budget mirrors what was presented to district residents this spring when the residents voted to approve an increase in the Education Fund levy.  The Board also agreed to seek a substitute custodian, approved a bid from Effingham Asphalt for repairs to the back parking lot, approved a three-year agreement for website hosting and software design, decided against repairs to a district bus, and agreed to remove trees against the west side of the high school wing.